the european union tightened sanctions on north korea. eu foreign ministers say authorities in north korea have endangered security worldwide. leaders followed through on their threats last week and carried out another underground nuclear tests. the ministers expanded. the sanctions also banned the export and import of components that could be used in ballistic missiles including certain types of aluminum.

they say they put a satellite into orbit. but western leaders say the north koreans were developing ballistic missiles which can carry a nuclear payload. netanyahu says the fact they went ahead with the tests show sanctions don't work. he says it was proof world leaders should do more to stop nuclear ambitions in another nation, iran. netanyahu told international jewish leaders gathered in jerusalem that embargoes should be coupled with a military threat. >> even tougher sanctions will not stop them. case in point, north korea. have sanctions, tough sanctions, stopped north korea? no. >> israeli leaders believe their counterparts in iran are trying to develop nuclear weapons. the israelis have hinted repeatedly they could launch a preemptive strike. leaders in tehran say they're developing atomic energy for peaceful purposes. netanyahu says iran will be at

the top of his agenda when u.s. president barack obama visits israel next month. chinese officials have taken over management of a port in pakistan. officials from a chinese state run firm acquired the rights last month to control gwadar port in south western pakistan. it lies near the strait of hormuz. pakistani president and chinese ambassador attended a hand over ceremony in the capital. the port is strategic for chinc. it imports crude oil from the north. >> it gives importance to china-pakistan relations.

>> the chinese ambassador says much of china remains unstable. they must take advantage when they see openings. >> to seize opportunities. >> chinese companies were recently involved in a series of port projects in myanmar. the entrance into pakistan has raised concerns in india. people in many parts of china say the clouds of smog they have seen for weeks make it harder to breathe. scientists say particles in the air could damage people's health. researchers studied samples from the atmosphere over beijing and two other areas. they detected a harmful compound when exposed to sunlight.

chinese people have just come back from celebrating the lunar new year. their cars are pumping out more exhaust and factories are spewing their own emissions. >> translator: i have a sore throat already. i know pollution is serious out here. >> translator: i can't stand going outside with mask out. >> experts say government officials and business leaders must act. they are calling for tighter controls on vehicle exhausts and devices for reducing factory pollution. people in japan have been worried about the air blowing in from china. researchers are working on an early warning system. officials will collect data from around the country every hour and issue warnings as necessary. they are drafting safety guidelines for dealing with smog. they are considering stricter guidelines for children and people with chronic heart or lung conditions. the officials say they want to

finalize the guidelines next week. naval officers from mainly asia pacific kcountries have gathered in japan to discussion security. it's aimed at promoting mutual understanding in the region. on monday 15 officers took part at japan's maritime defense college in tokyo. they represent 15 countries including japan, the u.s., south kor korea, china and australia. they hope the participants can discuss each nation's interest. >> translator: china's participation has great effect

considering the timing of the meeting. the ancient town of the town of timbuktu in mali is charged with history, a crossroads of islamic culture. militants destroyed prime examples of that culture as they made a push through the region. now heritage experts convened by u nessco have decided to rebuild parts of the world heritage site. about 150 experts gathered at unesco headquarters in paris. they discussed ways to rebuild ancient tombs. >> translator: the destruction of world heritage site is an act of foolishness. people of the whole world are the victims of such an act. >> militants destroyed 500-year-old islam makes liums

before being driven out last month. they will study the damage and start reconstruction. japanese prime minister abe is packing his bags. he will meet later this week with president obama in washington. >> they'll talk about a lot of things. one thing high on the agenda is the japan energy cooperation. japan is looking to the u.s. for an energy boost. prime minister abe will ask president obama to permit shell gas exports to japan. the two leaders will meet on friday at a summit in washington. japan faces a rising energy shortage. most plants are halted and utilities are depending on thermal power. abe is eager to import shell gas as a new cheaper resource. the u.s. is limiting gas exports to its free trade partners only.

that's to avoid pressure on domestic fuel prices. japan must go through a government screening on a case by case basis. the prime minister is busy at home too. he's brainstorming to make japanese industry more competitive. he asked for ideas from panel of business people, academic leaders and cabinet ministers. he want to promote clean energy. the panel gathered on monday night to discuss economic growth in three fields, agriculture, energy and science and technology. >> translator: we see agriculture as a growth sector and will promote it as an energy. >> some members said japan should make it a target to become the world's number three in agriculture production and exports in ten years.

the prime minister also asked for ideas to reform japan's electric power structure. he's looking at splitting the business of electricity and power supply. the yen is trading slightly higher. the yen advanced as japanese finance minister announced that the bank of japan has no plans to buy foreign bonds as part of its monetary easing policy. some investors are buying the yen on profit taking following the sharp slide that came after the g20 meeting over the weekend. the against the yen is changing hands at 93.84 to 89. let's take a look at how this is affecting the stock markets. tokyo shares are trading in a tight range. market players say the yen's slight gain is weighing on

export related issues while some investors are buyi ining declin that the weakening trend will resume over the coming mornt mon months. let's see what's happening in other parts of asia. south korea's kospi is trading flat at 1,982. in australia the benchmark index is trading higher at 5,067. officials with amazon.com have released japan figures. they show amazon to be the top online retailer. the figures are in amazon's annual report submitted to a u.s. stock exchange. the firm logged some $7.8 billion in revenue last year in the japanese market. that's about 12% of the firm's

global sales in 2012. in contrast revenue for leading japanese operate rakuten was much smaller at $4.7 billion. amazon has gained more customers in japan by offering free delivery. the firm can ship products on the same day from 11 distribution centers across the country. the growing system of internet retailers is forcing department stores and appliance chains to improve their online services. more headlines and business for you next hour. here is a check on markets.

venezuelan president chavez has made a return trip home. he was transimportanted to the military hospital with cabinet ministers and his family. he vowed to conquer the disease and he said he trust his doctors and nurses. venezuelan officials released the first photos of the president since his december surgery. officials said he had a tracheal tube inserted and is having trouble speaking. they are saying he survived a respiratory infection. he won in october. his inauguration was postponed due to his condition. scientists in central russia

say they've found fragments of a meteorite that exploded in the sky. the shockwaves damaged more than 4,000 buildings. officials found a hole in a frozen lake and discovered fragments of rock nearby. an expert from the russian academy of science told a news agency the fragments came from the meteorite. workers are replacing shattered windows. local glass producers can't keep up with demand. government officials are helping find supplies in neighboring regions. temperatures can drop below minus 15 degrees celsius. teachers at some schools have canceled their classes till the windows are fixed. two russian pilots had a close shave when the meteorite exploded near their plane. they spoke on sunday to a russian broadcaster. >> translator: i saw a

glittering fireball. as we were coming in for landing. i thought later how lucky we were that the meteorite didn't hit our plane. >> the meteor crossed in front of his plane, then came a huge blast. the captain said the plane already had its landing gear down, making it more vulnerable it the co-pilot describes seeing the meteorite blow apart. >> translator: i saw three large chunks break off. and fly apart in a different direction. i felt a sensation of heat on my face when the meteor exploded. >> officials from russia's emergency situations ministry say more than 1,200 people were hurt by the meteor's shockwave.

one of japan's living national treasures is making space in his cabinet. france's cultural ministry says it will make the actor a commander of the order of arts and letters. the 62-year-old is a specialist in portraying females. traditionally male performers play both male and female roles in plays. he has just completed a ten-day run at the theater in paris. he also performed in 1984 at new york's metropolitan theater. the award ceremony is scheduled for tuesday in paris. visitors to the city office near tokyo are enjoying a display of elegance in miniature form.

represent members of the nobility and the customes they wore. citizen groups are showing off an extensive collection. the dolls are the centerpiece of a festival every march. families set them out as a way to pray for good health for their daughters. craftsman have been making the dolls for nearly 400 years. residents collected more than 1,800 dolls from all over the country. they're displaying them to draw attention and visitors. the dolls at the top are seven meters off the floor. >> translator: they reach right up to the ceiling. they're amazing. >> translator: it's wonderful to see something big like this. >> the dolls will be on display until march 9th. people who travel a long way to see natural beauty. mountains, water falls, sunsets. but what about fog? residents of one misty town

claim their unusual climate is worth the trip. >> reporter: a chilly winter morning. dawn breaks. a dense fog forms in the mountains sweeps down the river valley. and out to sea. locals call this a storm. named after the river. a wind tunnel. gushing out a huge plume of fog. the swirling vapor whips through the air. quite a storm. this is a rare weather phenomenon. in japan or anywhere else. unusual enough perhaps to attract tourists. local shop owners start making plans. their idea's to start a boat tour. it will allow visitors to witness the storm from the best vantage point, off the coast.

>> translator: it is a natural phenomenon. i hope it will bring people in. >> reporter: the fog storms occur between october and march. but only about 15 times in that period. scheduling tours won't be easy. this group leader tracks down local experts. he needs more information about how and when the fog is formed. first off is the port. a fisherman tells him it all depends on the tides. >> translator: the storm moves slightly to develop during high tides. >> reporter: high tide is a factor because it brings warm seawater up factor. warm water meets cold mountain air creating fog. he drops by the high school. a science teacher has spent four years collecting data. the teacher explains the importance of another key ingredient.

wind direction. >> it has to be a southerly wind. it will never happen if the seasonal northwest winds are blowing. >> reporter: in winter, the winds usually blow in from the north. it's the southerly wind that carries the fog out to sea. it's crucial to read the changes in wind direction. he starts monitoring wind and tide data. two weeks later, he senses a storm is brewing. a foggy one. >> translator: it's coming from that direction. it's a southerly wind. >> reporter: at last, a southerly wind coinciding with a full tide. conditions are perfect. >> translator: let's go out tomorrow. >> translator: 7:00 a.m. next morning, he is in a boat heading

for the river mouth. a huge bank of fog rolls out from the coast. with the wind and water, a misty presence fills the bay and the boat. >> translator: wow, i've never seen anything like this. >> reporter: hamadi is also impressed. he's never seen it looking so majestic. and the spectacle is not over. as the sun rises -- >> it's come out. >> reporter: the vapor glistens gold in the sunlight. this magical sight can only be seen from the ocean. >> today's been a huge success. we think people who see the site will be entranced. and they will come back to see it again. >> reporter: for that to happen, hamada and his group will need to perfect their timing.

the fog chasers know accurate forecasts are essential. the watching and the waiting has begun. time now to get a check on the weather. people in southern areas of philippines are dealing with severe weather conditions. >> tropical depression that's formed. this is now moving over the islands. the rainfall accumulation is just staggering amounts. drenching rain will be falling across the area and also thunderstorms are going to be e rup erupting in the next coupling of days. looks like it will not be intensifying into a named storm system. we'll keep a close eye on this

because flash floods and mudslides are all going to be at high risks. the china peninsula is looking clear and fine. the frigid cold air sinks down toward the south. even the precipitation here could turn white. we are seeing snow showers flirting with western half of japan now even in the city side and metropolitan tokyo as well. this is going to be on and off until the afternoon hours. toward the northern regions the wintry pressure pattern will intensify flow belowing heavy snows in store for you and waves will be high as much as four meters. blizzard conditions will be of concern. temperature wise at zero degree. tokyo 6 for the high. down towards the tropics, 33 in

manila. out towards north america we still have to talk about this blizzard condition here across atlantic condition da. this will pull away in towards the east. wind chill factors will be very chilly out here across the north eastern regions. now that we have another incoming system this is creating really heavy snow across the great lakes region but due to the clash of the two air masses mixed precipitation found here as well as the thunderstorms to erupt due to the moisture sur surging from the south. we're talking ant tornado warnings out in louisiana and texas. watch out for that. out towards the west things are looking clear and fine. another system will be dominate in the sections that will create really major storm systems. until now los angeles looking at 14. down from 27 on saturday. a really big dramatic drop

there. winnipeg minus 22 up towards the north and 8 here in new york. last but not least we're looking at europe with cooler systems to talk central mediterraneans looking at thunderstorms. high pressure dominate here in the central regions making clear and fine. here in the temperatures will sag. i'll leave you now for our extended forecast.

we apologize for the poor sound quality during the weather forecast there. just a reminder of our lead stories. european foreign ministers have agreed to sharpen sanctions against north korea. they watched last week as authorities follow through on their threats to follow out another nuclear test. now they are trying to restrict the country's ability to trade. the ministers expanded upon trade. they barred north korea banks

from opening new branches in the eu. they banned be export and imports of components that could be used in ballistic missiles including certain types of aluminum. they put a satellite into orbit. chinese officials have taken over management of a port in pakistan. officials from a chinese state run firm akwared the right to control gwadar port. it lies near the strait of hormuz. pakistani president and chinese ambassador attended a handover ceremony in the capital islamabad. it imports most of its crude oil from the gulf.

>> it gives new importance to pakistan-china relations. it takes a step further into the realm of economic cooperation. the chinese ambassador says much of asia remains unstable. he said they must take advantage when they see openings. >> under this new situation, china-pakistan should work more closely to seize opportunities and to meet challenges. >> chinese companies were solved in a series of port projects in myanmar. the entrance into pakistan has raised concerns among leaders in neighboring india. that wraps up this edition of "newsline." thanks for joining us.